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(Sharad Kelkar shared the screen with Surekha Sikri in the daily soap "Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar", which aired between 2005 and 2009. The actor opened up to IANS sharing his experience of working with the multiple National Award-winning late actress who, he feels was an institution of acting)

BY SHARAD KELKAR

Mumbai, July 17 (IANS) "I have been lucky to work with Surekha ji in the initial days of my career. She treated me like her son and nurtured me in that show, from nuances to dialogues. Her persona was enough to get that. It's like the Dronacharya-Ekalavya kind of thing.

She was such a jolly person. We used to have a lot of fun on the set. I used to play a prank. She was short and slim. I would always come from behind and lift her and roam around the set. I have a lot of happy memories with her.

She was an institution of acting -- her eyes, voice, body language, everything. It's been an honour to work with such an actress. This was the only show where we shared the screen, but in those three years I've learnt a lot from her.

In that show, Nahar Singh (Sharad's character) and Bhabho (played by Sikri) shared a sweet bond. Most of my emotional scenes were with her. She taught me how to listen and feel the emotion. She was great while performing emotional scenes.

The best quality about her, which I loved, was that despite her age, she was up to work. She wanted to work, wanted to act and was extremely persistent. She had a never-give-up attitude. That was one thing I loved and it would be great if it comes to me, too.

She kept on working and excelling in her work. In spite of reaching that level, she still had the hunger to do more work and improve."

(As told to Ahana Bhattacharya)